


Annoying beauty

by Smart_heart



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A Monthly Rumbelling, Coworker AU, F/M, Rumbelle - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 20:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14316213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smart_heart/pseuds/Smart_heart
Summary: For the @a-monthly-rumbelling April Non-smut prompt “You’re the most annoying person I know but I think I’m in love with you anyway”Summary: Belle French and Mr. Gold are coworkers. They both have a crush on each other, but Belle shows it in an extremely unconvenientional way





	Annoying beauty

" Well that is just fan-fucking-tastic", Gold cursed under his breath, and turning his Cadillac's steering wheel to the right to get out of the company's parking lot. His coworker, Miss French, had parked her white beetle on the last parking spot, again. She didn't even need to come by car, she lived a block away, she could just come walking! Unsufferable woman.

He parked his car on a spot he knew he'd have trouble taking it out from later, but he was already late and had no time to look for another place. He opened his door and immediately felt the cool wind of autumn invading the car. Along with a lot of leaves. 

He closed his car's door and locked it before beginning to head to the company, his cane clacking rhythmically on the concrete sidewalk by his side. His gaze lifted to the window of his office just to see a giggling brunette turn around and pretend she wasn't looking at him. It was going to be a long day....  
________________________________

Belle French glanced through the window of the company's second floor and saw a big, black car turning around to exit the parking lot and park a few meters away. When it's door opened, a short, thin man got up from the driver's seat, and she smirked at his angry expression. 

She observed his really soft hair fluttering with the breeze and admired how nice he fitted his suit. For a long time she'd had a crush on her co-worker, it had developed slowly, increasing with debates on books and poetry, chatting about their family, and a bit of flirting on tea times.

Belle could remember the day she realized she was in love with Gold. He had invited her over for dinner at his place, and they were talking about the newest screen adaption of her favorite book series on his living room when a little boy entered the house with watered eyes.

"Papa, I fell from my bike and hurt myself " the boy cried, and Gold leaped quicker than Belle though humanely possible to the boy's aid.

" Bealfire, how many times will I have to tell you to wear your knee braces?" 

Gold placed his son on the biggest couch and Belle noticed a cut on his right knee. It wasn't anything serious, but the concern on Gold's voice made it seem like the boy had lost his leg.

"I'll get the first aid kit and be right back ", the father said, limping to the kitchen.

"Dad, I don't need the first aid kit, just a plaster would do!"Bealfire yelled uselessly, and turned to Belle for the first time 

"I'm talking to a wall, aren't I?" Her sighted, and earned a giggle from the brunette. "Anyway, I'm Bealfire, and you must be Miss French, right?"

"Yes I am, it's a pleasure to meet you at last. Your father talks a lot about you" She smiled and realized the boy must be around eight. He looked a lot like his father, and Belle wondered where his mother was. Whenever she tried to bring this matter up with her co-worker, it sounded like he wasn't comfortable with the subject.

"Oh believe me, miss, he talks a lot about you too" he answered just before the man in question arrived back at the room and began cleaning the wound with extreme care and patience. That was the moment she knew she wanted him. No one she had ever met was so kind and gentle, and she knew for sure that that was the family she wanted to be a part of...

She was taken out of her day dreaming by Mr. Gold's irritated face staring at her and she laughed, turning around to continue working. She had taken the habit of annoying him to get his attention. She was well aware that it was extremely childish, but she also knew that veeeery deep down, she was what made his day of work interesting.

And anyway, if he didn't enjoy her company, it's not like he would invite her for tea every other day, is it?

_________________________________

"Good morning, Gold!", Jefferson greeted him in the way to his desk as Gold aproached his own. He had to bite back a smile at the sight of Belle. He had to admit it, she was the most beautiful, intelligent and kind hearted person he had ever met. And also the most annoying.

"Miss French ", he acknowledged her, sitting at his desk witch was right beside hers

"I thought we had agreed on you calling me Belle a long time ago" She complained as Gold searched for something in his drawer.

"Very well Belle, would you mind telling me where my pen is?"

"Oh, this one, you mean?" She questioned innocently, lifting a black ball-point pen in her hand, showing manicured sky blue fingernails in the process.

"Yes, this one exactly " Gold huffed and took the pen from her hand to begin the day's work.

They didn't hear, however, some tables away when Jefferson leaned in to talk to David Nolan "Why won't the two of them just get a room already " and the giggling that followed, nor did they see all the other coworkers sitting near the company's crazie nod their heads in agreement.

_____________________________

 

At around 5 in the afternoon, Gold needed a coffee if he was to feel more human, and walked to the kitchen without noticing the mischievous smirk on Belle's face and the muffled laughter from everyone who had already been to the kitchen that day before he left

If he had noticed those things, he would have understood the reason when he arrived the kitchen and stood in front of the cupboard, where he had placed a warning:  
"people know not to touch my mug. It's the one with a golden pattern on it."

He had printed the notice and put it there because someone was using it. Now, only a day after he did so, another sheet had been placed below it: the sentence "Sorry, I can't help it, it's so pretty!" Was written in comic sans accompanied by a picture of a hand touching his mug. A hand with manicured sky blue fingernails.

Gold took a deep breath, made his coffee and walked away to the office once more, determined not to get angry,and sat down without even looking at the two blue orbs accompanying his every movement.

____________________________

A few minutes and a mug of coffee later, he was almost done with his work for the day, he just needed to put some sheets together and type some information He looked for his stapler on every drawer and even under every sheet of paper before realization hit him.

"Belle..." He growled 

"Yes?"

"Where is my stapler?" Gold hissed through clanched teeth.

"Somewhere around here", Belle answered gesturing to her table, and Gold felt anger rising in him.

"It's the third time you steel it this week!" He said a bit louder, gathering some audience.

"Three is not much times, is it?"

"IT'S STILL TUESDAY!"

"Gold, you can have it" Belle surrendered, putting the stapler back on his table and holding back her laughter. Nothing annoyed him like stealing little necessities, but she knew he'd never be actually angry with her. He just made a habit of over reacting to provocations. "But don't you think I won't be taking it again "

He had been so distracted by the movement of her petal soft red lips that he let his mouth work faster than his brain. At the same moment as the words left his mouth, the office went silent and Belle's eyes widened, and he feared he had hurt her. However, there was no hurt on her gaze, just shock and amusement.

He tried to recall what he had said, and his own eyes widened with realization. Oh no. He had gotten caught between saying "you wanna fight" and "fuck you". Please, whatever God that might be listening, please let me not have screamed "you wanna fuck" at the top of my lungs.

He was downright horrified that Belle would take it literally and never want to see him again. He knew she'd be disgusted by him, and who could blame her? Even if it was just a slip of the thong, it was disgusting that an bitter, old man like himself had suggested such thing to a young, brave women like Belle.

He had expected her to yell. He had expected her to snarl. Maybe even to cry in humiliation, and an apology was at the tip of his thong.

But he had not expected her to stare him straight in the eyes and say "I had been WAITING for you to ASK, twat!”. She then winked at him and continued her work.

Gold didn't know if he should be relieved or scared. He decided on both. For a long time he had tried to deny his feelings for her, but honestly, even Bealfire had already realized, and by the look on his other coworkers faces, his boy wasn't the only one.

Now he was utterly confused. Was Belle kidding or was there a chance she felt the same as he? 

He tried to not give too much thought into it so he could properly finish his work, witch proved itself very difficult. 

Finally, he finished all his tasks and gathered his things to leave. He stood up and heard Belle talk to him.

"See you tomorrow?" She asked sweetly, biting her bottom lip.

"Yeah" was all he answered, still embarrassed and walked away.

Just as he was passing by the kitchen, he had an idea. Coward he was, he wasn't going to be able to just ask her about her feelings, or admit his own looking at her face. But he didn't need to talk to her, did he?

He grabbed a post-it from his pocket and a pen that was lying around, and glued the note he wrote on Belle's mug, a white one with a blue pattern and a chip on the rim. And when Belle got up to make herself a tea, half an hour later, she read in a sofisticated handwriting:

“You’re the most annoying person I know but I think I’m in love with you anyway


End file.
